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Sunday, February 12, 2017

Royal Profile: Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner

Princess Astrid Maud Ingeborg of Norway, Mrs. Ferner was born 12 February 1923 as the second daughter of King Olav V and Princess Märtha of Sweden {Source}.

She has one older sister and a younger brother, two siblings-in-laws{Source}:

As she is a great-grandchild of King Edward VII, she is distantly in line for the British throne, as well as a second cousin to Queen Elizabeth II and a maternal 1st cousin to King Albert II of Belgium.

She grew up in Norway, and was privately tutored.

During WWII, she fled with her family to the United States.

After the war, she returned to Europe, to study economics and political history at Oxford.

From her mother's death in April 1954 to her brother's marriage in August 1968, Princess Astrid was Norway's de facto first lady, often assisting her father and brother with official duties.

In 2005, she took part in ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, including the unveiling of a plaque marking the Norwegian monarch's exile in London{Source}.

In February 2012, Princess Astrid celebrated her 80th birthday with a private dinner at the Royal Palace in Oslo {Source},

Her husband died on 24 January 2015, shortly after they celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary.

Princess Astrid is chair of the board of Crown Princess Märtha’s Memorial Fund which provides financial support to social and humanitarian initiatives carried out by non-governmental organisations{Source}

The Princess is a patron of several organizations and participates in their activities with great interest. She has been particularly involved in work for children and young people with dyslexia, herself having had a hard time during her childhood and youth due to that condition.

She holds several Norwegian and international honors.

A 580,000 km² area in Antarctica is named Princess Astrid Coast in her honor.